Advisory
Town of Danville April 1 COVID-19 Update
Town COVID-19 Update: 4.1.20
Construction and Permitting Under New Shelter Order
As of April 1, 2020, the Contra Costa Health Director issued an expanded Shelter in Place Order that clarified certain areas of the essential and non-essential businesses. One area that saw a significant change was in the area of construction. Per the March 31, 2020 order:
“Most construction—residential and commercial—is prohibited. Exceptions are made for healthcare facility construction directly related to the COVID-19 response; affordable housing; public works projects when designated as essential by the lead governmental agency; shelters and temporary housing; projects necessary to provide critical services to certain vulnerable individuals; construction necessary to secure an existing construction site; and limited essential residential or business repairs.”
In order to answer as many questions about this as possible, we have updated the FAQs on the Town of Danville’s website. To see the new FAQs, go to www.danville.ca.gov/coronavirus, scroll down to the Permitting section and click on the link ‘Permitting Services During the Shelter in Place’ for a PDF.
How the Town is Enforcing the Shelter Order
One of the very common questions we get is how the Town of Danville is enforcing the shelter order. Police Chief Allan Shields explains that the current position of the department is to adopt an educational approach when we receive notice of those who are not in compliance with the shelter order.
“The Danville Police Department is proactively patrolling our town to discourage general criminal activity as we would have done prior to the Pandemic. While patrolling Town, if a violation of the Health Order (such as a large gathering) is seen, the officer will make reasonable efforts to educate the violators and ensure compliance. California Health and Safety Code Section 120295 makes violating the order a misdemeanor, and is punishable by fine, imprisonment, or both. Should the Danville Police Department feel it is necessary to use punitive enforcement actions, an arrest could be made, a citation could be issued, or a case could be forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office for prosecution. The true measure of our effectiveness will be our ability as a community to follow the order without any need for punitive enforcement actions.”
Reporting Shelter Order Violations
We continue to receive reports and questions around shelter order compliance. In order to handle those questions as efficiently as possible, the Danville Police would like residents to send those in via the Danville Connect app. The app is free for download and allows residents to forward their concerns on a multitude of issues from streetlight outages to potholes. These reports are then routed to the appropriate department immediately. In the case of shelter order violations, these are forwarded to a member of the staff who helps officers answer questions and determine whether a violation has occurred.
Please Keep Dogs On Leash
With the shelter order keeping people home, and the Canine Corral Dog Park among the facilities closed, we are seeing more individuals out walking their dogs in area parks.
We would like to remind everyone that Danville does have a leash ordinance requiring that all dogs must remain on-leash at all times. With the increased traffic on our trails and parks, it is more important than ever to keep dogs under control.
Town of Danville April 1 COVID-19 Update 
Town COVID-19 Update: 4.1.20
Construction and Permitting Under New Shelter Order
As of April 1, 2020, the Contra Costa Health Director issued an expanded Shelter in Place Order that clarified certain areas of the essential and non-essential businesses. One area that saw a significant change was in the area of construction. Per the March 31, 2020 order:
“Most construction—residential and commercial—is prohibited. Exceptions are made for healthcare facility construction directly related to the COVID-19 response; affordable housing; public works projects when designated as essential by the lead governmental agency; shelters and temporary housing; projects necessary to provide critical services to certain vulnerable individuals; construction necessary to secure an existing construction site; and limited essential residential or business repairs.”
In order to answer as many questions about this as possible, we have updated the FAQs on the Town of Danville’s website. To see the new FAQs, go to www.danville.ca.gov/coronavirus, scroll down to the Permitting section and click on the link ‘Permitting Services During the Shelter in Place’ for a PDF.
How the Town is Enforcing the Shelter Order
One of the very common questions we get is how the Town of Danville is enforcing the shelter order. Police Chief Allan Shields explains that the current position of the department is to adopt an educational approach when we receive notice of those who are not in compliance with the shelter order.
“The Danville Police Department is proactively patrolling our town to discourage general criminal activity as we would have done prior to the Pandemic. While patrolling Town, if a violation of the Health Order (such as a large gathering) is seen, the officer will make reasonable efforts to educate the violators and ensure compliance. California Health and Safety Code Section 120295 makes violating the order a misdemeanor, and is punishable by fine, imprisonment, or both. Should the Danville Police Department feel it is necessary to use punitive enforcement actions, an arrest could be made, a citation could be issued, or a case could be forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office for prosecution. The true measure of our effectiveness will be our ability as a community to follow the order without any need for punitive enforcement actions.”
Reporting Shelter Order Violations
We continue to receive reports and questions around shelter order compliance. In order to handle those questions as efficiently as possible, the Danville Police would like residents to send those in via the Danville Connect app. The app is free for download and allows residents to forward their concerns on a multitude of issues from streetlight outages to potholes. These reports are then routed to the appropriate department immediately. In the case of shelter order violations, these are forwarded to a member of the staff who helps officers answer questions and determine whether a violation has occurred.
Please Keep Dogs On Leash
With the shelter order keeping people home, and the Canine Corral Dog Park among the facilities closed, we are seeing more individuals out walking their dogs in area parks.
We would like to remind everyone that Danville does have a leash ordinance requiring that all dogs must remain on-leash at all times. With the increased traffic on our trails and parks, it is more important than ever to keep dogs under control.
Address/Location
Danville Police Department CA
500 La Gonda Way
Danville, CA 94526
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 925-314-3700